THE WOLF, THE FOX AND THE AILING LION
The lion had grown old and sick and was lying in his cave. All the animals,
except for the fox, had come to visit their king. The wolf seized this opportunity
to denounce the fox in front of the lion, complaining that the fox showed no
respect for the lion, who was the common master of them all. Indeed, the fox
had not even come to pay the ailing lion a visit! The fox arrived just in time
to hear the end of the wolf's speech. The lion roared at the fox, but the fox
asked for a chance to explain herself. 'After all,' said the fox, 'which one
of all the animals assembled here has helped you as I have, travelling all over
the world in order to seek out and discover from the doctors a remedy for your
illness?' The lion ordered the fox to describe the remedy immediately, and the
fox replied, 'You must flay a living wolf and wrap yourself in his skin while
it is still warm.' When the wolf had been killed, the fox laughed and said,
'It is better to put your master in a good mood, not a bad one.'
The story shows that someone who plots against others falls into his own
trap. |